In the liner notes to the 1993 Stones collection Jump Back: The Best of The Rolling Stones, Jagger states, "Everyone always says this was written about Marianne but I don't think it was; that was all well over by then. But I was definitely very inside this piece emotionally."

Originally recorded over a three day period at Muscle Shoals Sound Studio in Alabama during December 2-4, 1969, the song was not released until over a year later due to legal wranglings with the band's former label.

Jagger introduced it as a "sad love song" at the Rolling Stones performance in Rio de Janeiro in 2006.

Released as the second (U.S.-only) single in June 1971, "Wild Horses" reached #28 on the singles chart. Although popular at the Stones' live shows, "Wild Horses" has only been released in a reworked version on the 1995 acoustic/live album Stripped.

The song features in the film "Adaptation." (2002).

On April 8, 2006, Chinese rock star Cui Jian sang this with Jagger when The Stones played a concert in Shanghai.

The end credits of the film Shine a Light feature an instrumental version of the song.